Down time with the Aeons
by EhloraDhanon
Summary: Ever wonder what the Aeons do when they're not fighting with Yuna in battle? Here's one possible scenario. Upon further thought, I have decided to further explain the story. Please see the following chapters and enjoy.
1. Down Time with the Aeons

What happens to the Aeons when they aren't in battle with Yuna? I don't know either but here's one possible envisioning.

At the Aeon house, a two story home with an extended back yard, shaded porch and balcony in the back, all was quiet in the mid-morning hours. A light was on in the den downstairs and on the other side of the window, four figures sat around a square table, each holding a hand of cards in front of their faces and regarding the others speculatively. They made a very strange gathering that seemed at odds with their appearance and attire. Of the four persons, three were males and the fourth was definitely a woman. She was currently pouting at her hand of cards.

Silence continued to reign before the dragon Bahamut, talons of his free hand clicking loudly on the hardwood table, cleared his throat. "Shiva. It is still your turn." Impatiently, he shifted his feathered wings, the slowly spinning ring moving with them, and twitched his tail, careful not to sit back in the chair that had been modified for his frame. Really, they had just removed the backing and turned it into an improvised stool but he was quite content with it.

Ifrit and Yojimbo shifted and eyed Shiva curiously. She was a fickle one to play cards with in general and they all knew she didn't like to be rushed. The ice blue woman with dark blue hair and hardly a stitch of clothes to her name, placed her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand. Her blue eyes peeked over the top of the cards to view the other players and she sighed, "I just don't know." Agitatedly, she sat up again and twitched the length of cloth from her lap and let it hang at her hip, her legs completely bare. Finally, she pointed across at Yojimbo, "Jimbo. Do you have any…eights?"

With a long suffering sigh, the samurai responded, "My name is _Yo_jimbo," and he was careful to emphasize the first syllable. He peered at her through his mask, under his yellowish wide-brimmed hat and shook his head. "Go fish." Unconsciously, he shifted the katana at his side and shrugged his shoulders, the ornate pauldrons shifting in turn.

Shiva growled in frustration, "You never have anything I ask for." Annoyed, she flipped back one of the thick bound strands of hair over her shoulder and reached for a card from the middle of the table. The pile was still fairly large and they had been playing for…how long was it now?

As she was just leaning back to situate the card in her hand, Ifrit placed his cards, face down, on the table with exaggerated care due to the length of his claws, and stood up, the chair scraping loudly as it was pushed back. Out of habit, he remained hunched over to allow his horns to follow the curvature of his spine. "I am being summoned," he explained, the wolf-like maw enunciating the words with effort. Quickly, he headed to the door in the front hall and, using the lever handle doorknob, he stepped out, disappearing as soon as he crossed the threshold.

"Ifrit! You're next," Shiva muttered, placing her own cards down and glancing at the other two. Yojimbo looked at the door Ifrit had just exited and then out the back door to the porch where the rest of their companions were resting. Valefor was preening himself, the bird-like creature as large as any of them and equally difficult to keep clean. Ixion was grazing, taking great care to keep the hooked horn from sticking in the ground. Anima, as usual, was grounded, seemingly sprouting from the earth itself and chained by bonds that similarly disappeared in the ground. Even now, she was an odd Aeon, particularly since she wasn't mobile on her own, disappearing and reappearing when summoned and dismissed. Taking care of the three were the Magus Sisters: Cindy, Sandy and Mindy.

Mindy, the youngest, was very attentive to Ixion and continued to run a brush over his dark colored body, the mane and tail nearly impossible to comb out. Sandy, the middle sister who held the characteristics of a beetle, helped Valefor reach the spots his beak could not, moving her great bulk awkwardly when he shook his wings out. The eldest sister, Cindy, who bore the features of a praying mantis, stood next to Anima, offering encouragement and a listening ear. They all felt a degree of pity when it came to the bound Aeon and each did what they could to alleviate her continual torment. The samurai finally came out and caught the last part of the encouraging words she murmured, "I'm sure she'll have need of you soon. Don't worry, Anima. You know how Yuna likes to save the best for last." She cast a plaintive look in Yojimbo's direction as if asking to be released.

She was pleasantly surprised when Bahamut quickly abandoned the card game and headed out, leaving Shiva by herself. "Hey Anima! Let's see if your aim is still what it should be," he quipped, flexing his large wings easily, the large feathers stretching with the motion.

"But what if I hit you?" Anima asked plaintively, clearly torn between the desire to do something and be part of the group and of hurting her companion.

"Then we'll know you've still got it," Shiva encouraged as she came out to lounge in the swinging chair. She was careful to flip her hair over the back so that it swayed with the seat instead of sitting on it. The end of the wrap at her waist trailed gently over the ground near her feet and she smiled at the pair, unconsciously sensual.

"But what if I hurt him?" Anima persisted, the chains jangling near her clawed hands as she tried to add expressive gestures to her concern.

"You won't," Bahamut assured her quickly, flashing a confident grin. He didn't give her more time to debate and worry before he flapped hard and launched himself into the air. All eyes turned to follow the majestic dragon while Anima charged up her Oblivion attack.

Her torso rocked as dark beams of power burst from her shining eye, the disfigured face contorted in pain. Swiftly, the beams flew after the soaring dragon. He was truly magnificent in his flying prowess, adeptly swooping and dodging as necessary. Valefor watched with a careful eye, certain he could move faster and with tighter turns but for the bulk of the dragon, Bahamut was a master in the air. It was also probable that he was considerably more resilient than the lighter bird. Dragon skin was notoriously thick.

Yojimbo was the first to look away as a sleepy Daigoro wandered out from the house where he had been resting. The samurai knelt next to the grinning dog and fondly scratched the small ears. "Ifrit's back," he murmured, looking inside curiously as a rather drenched Ifrit made his way out back. The samurai eyed him, at which the fire lord sighed.

"Waterga took me out. Lousy casters…" he grumbled before he sat down next to Yojimbo to watch the flying efforts of Bahamut.

At that same moment, Ixion picked up his head and snorted. "Aww. Good luck Ixy," Mindy smiled with a pat on the unicorn's neck. Ixion stepped away from her and then sprinted for the boundary of the fence to hop over it neatly. "We never get to have any fun," she sighed with a glance to her other sisters as Ixion vanished as soon as he cleared the barrier.

"Ow…ow!" Bahamut roared as he misjudged the timing and was pelted by two attacks in quick succession, one of which hit his wing, briefly making it useless. In vain, he flapped the one good wing and sent himself into an out of control spiral down.

Mindy shrieked as the dragon fell towards her, her tiny bee enhanced body no match for the bulk of the falling dragon. Valefor warbled a warning, swooping in low to snatch her out of harm's way and flying to safety as his flying brother crashed into the spot she had been. Cindy and Sandy rushed over to where Valefor had deposited Mindy and sighed in relief that she was unharmed.

Ifrit pushed himself up and padded over to Bahamut to help the disgruntled dragon to his feet. "Every time," the fire Aeon chuckled, shaking his head ruefully.

Bahamut shrugged and rubbed the back of his head. "It doesn't hurt that bad," he admitted. "But the landing could use some work." It was not uncommon for him to be shot out of the sky. Considering all the attacks Anima could fire, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Landing safely tended to be the hardest part.

"Oh! My turn!" Shiva cried, hopping up from the swing and sprinting for the door, hair and skirt trailing gracefully behind her. She hadn't quite made it before Ixion hopped back over the fence, lightning still sparking off his horn and trailing off the ends of his mane and short, fluffy tail. He shook his head at the spectacle and wandered over to the moaning Anima. Gently, he touched his horn to the chains that bound her and released the last of the electrical discharge.

"Yow!" she jerked, the chains jangling loudly. "What was that for?" Though she was angry at him, her attention was finally diverted from having hit Bahamut…again. Ixion just looked at her and shook his head before wandering over to the shade and folding himself onto the ground. He had done his part for the day.

Silence answered the question as the others looked around, debating what to do next. Gradually, they all broke off individually. Yojimbo wandered to the side of the house, playing with Daigoro who bounced around his feet. The others watched the pair with smiles and then looked at the remaining group. Ifrit headed inside first, still shaking water from the thick, orange hair that ran down his upper back. The Magus Sisters ran to the table and took over the deck of cards, shuffling them anew and starting a spirited game of war. Valefor flapped up to his perch on the balcony of the house to sun himself. Anima had to content herself with watching the clouds, as usual. "A bird. There's a sword. Huh…that one's a chocobo…"

The relative calm was shattered when Shiva came back, opening the door with a resounding crash as she hopped in, grinning. "Yes!" she cheered, her high momentarily dulled by the sisters at the table. Briefly miffed, she was about to say something and then thought better of it. With a resigned sigh, she stretched up and smiled at them, throwing in a wink for good measure. "That should be it for at least a little while." A careful glance around showed that none of the others were nearby and she sighed again. It was so much more fun when they could share in the victory. Yuna had won again and she was almost in town so it was likely they wouldn't be called upon any time soon. Easily, she slid herself into the extra chair at the table and looked at the three expectantly.

The sisters looked back at her; Cindy's mantis features gaunt and imposing while Sandy's beetle features were round and forceful. Mindy giggled and snatched the cards up before the other two could argue. "Come on, Shiva. Let's see how your luck holds today," the youngest grinned, doling out the cards and ignoring the looks from her sisters. "I know you remember war. Ready. Aaaand go!"


	2. The Wings of the Summoner

**The Wings of the Summoner**

In the beginning, there was nothing in the ether; just endless space as far as the eye could see of a uniform grayish color. Eventually, the beginnings of definition began to emerge as a split formed, giving the impression of ground and a sky. A gentle infusion of light from a sun like orb and the formation of lush, green grass that covered the earth added further dimensions to the warm space. Habitable, the space remained empty for a time. At last, the scenery changed again and a large expanse of white picket fences sprang up in a large rectangle, establishing a barrier to delineate the establishment from endless grassy plains.

Within the boundaries, a large deciduous tree quickly sprang to life, blossoming into full growth at an accelerated speed, casting more shade and decorating the landscape with multi-hued leaves. Every now and then a breeze would rustle the leaves and send them dancing away, twirling gracefully in their long descent. Nearby, a simple wooden shelter formed comprised of four posts, one wall and a roof of sturdy build. The outline of a resting place and a large container formed in the comforting shade beneath it. The world seemed ready and waiting for an occupant and finally one arrived.

In a dazzling display of bright, multi-colored lights and an exultant cry, the Wings of the Summoner appeared in all his majesty. His great pale yellow wings framed in purple flapped confidently in the breezy air, the gold link chain attached to the third protrusion of his right wing chiming softly at the same time. The breeze ruffled the reddish fur of his extensive mane and lower body, and glided seamlessly over the membranous wings and dark purple crocodile tail. He surveyed the land with his fierce avian head, the sharp beak gleaming in the sun, and slowly made his way down to the shelter. Subtle shifts in his wings and the use of his tail like a rudder helped to gently correct his gliding descent. The large flying creature landed softly, his lowering backwing flaps stirring up dust and debris at his dual-taloned feet.

Valefor walked slowly, his wings and tail held out for balance while he inspected the shelter. While it had what appeared to be a nest and a large closed chest under the awning, it felt a bit small for him, but passable…if the tree didn't prove suitable. Curiously, he moved closer to the massive tree, an ungainly crow-hop helping to close the distance. Valefor chirped to himself as he studied the numerous large branches. With a satisfied clack of his beak, he launched his body up and landed heavily in the tangle of the foliage. The sounds of leaves rustling and branches creaking, and cracking, lasted as long as it took him to get settled but the rain of leaves and twigs continued far longer, a playful wind teasing the debris as it fell.

The rustling stopped and the Aeon settled, content for the time being. He was well hidden, the foliage obscuring all but patches of the bright red coloration and the occasional glimpse of the yellow of his folded wings. The great creature napped for a while, lulled by the music of the leaves; however, peace is not eternal. Restlessness set in and with an explosion of leaves and small branches, Valefor sailed into the sky again. He set his sights on the horizon this time and flapped hard, his shadow racing over the ground in tandem with him. Exhilarated by the flight, he barrel rolled once, snapped his wings open to stabilize himself and then folded the right wing to spiral down sharply before extending both wings again and pulling up from the steep dive mere feet from the ground.

As he leveled out at a decent height again, he inquisitively glanced back to see where the shelter was, and faltered. Everything was still just behind him as if he had only started flying. Confused, he shook his head and looked down. Sure enough, his shadow showed he was moving but when he looked back up, the fenced off area was still just behind him. Valefor banked sharply and shot past the tree to fly in the opposite direction. After a few wing beats, he pulled up and turned around to see what had happened. His tail twitched in annoyance. He was the same distance away on this side as he had been on the other…

Thoughtfully, the Aeon hovered, trying to think and remember. Distractedly, he veered to the side and began circling the fenced in area in ever widening circles, until he continued to move out but the distance didn't change. He tried to recall where he had been before he came to this space. Slowly, memory returned and Valefor remembered he had once been human…a Guardian. Long ago, he had allowed his soul to be encased to be called upon by a summoner to fight Sin. While he was not thrilled by his new confinement, he was filled with excitement that it was time to fight again. He had heard the prayer of a new summoner!

With new purpose, Valefor winged back around and carefully alighted on the top of the shelter. The wood bowed under his weight but held. Inquisitively, he peered under the overhang and again noticed the nest and the large closed chest. His curiosity pricked, the great flying creature flapped down gracefully and pried open the chest with his beak. Confusion and disappointment flooded him to find the box empty. Now that felt wrong… The lid shut with a sharp clack and he used his foot to lean it back for a glance at the bottom in case he had missed something. Nothing there either. A dissatisfied trill escaped him when he set the box back down. He had hoped for something to distract him or assist in his training. He could fly for hours but without additional prompts, it would be difficult to remain focused and improve.

Resignedly, he carefully nestled his body securely into the comforting resting area and curled his head under his wing. Half-asleep in the relaxing shade, he had to wonder if this place ever got dark. Valefor woke later, to the shade still hiding the brunt of light. Given that, he guessed it didn't get dark after all. Either way, something had awakened him and he was consumed by a restless feeling. It felt as if he was being called.

Quickly, he hopped out of the shelter and launched himself into the air with an excited cry. He didn't know where he was going but it felt right. Swiftly, his wings carried him higher and higher until light engulfed him and he broke through a new sky, invigorated and ready. His summoner had called him and he flew down to her eagerly.

She was young…not much more than a child, but she had a quiet strength about her that would have been difficult to miss. The details of her brown hair, mismatched blue and green eyes and demure garb were absorbed and then ignored as he would recognize her anywhere now. She greeted him warmly when he landed in front of her. Her small hand was warm and gentle upon his furred cheek. The great Aeon crooned softly and then turned to face her opponent. Oh…

He came face to face with a pack of villagers. She had called him to thank the village. Vaguely, he remembered having gone through this before, in another time. Good naturedly, he weathered the admiration and was rewarded with another soft caress before she sent him back. As he returned to the shelter and looked to the sky, bright light swallowed him again and transported him back to the strange realm he now presided over. He returned to the shelter and looked at the chest again. Maybe this time he might find something to train with…

Valefor was delighted to find colored objects he could hang from the tree and plant around the yard for target practice. He would have liked additional obstacles but he wasn't sure how he would set them up even if he had them… Happily, he set about setting up what he did have and subsequently entertained himself for quite a time. Swiftly, he darted by the tree, snatching at streamers as they danced in the breeze. Once or twice he passed through the outermost part of the foliage and earned himself a mouthful of leaves, but he caught the streamers both times! The items for the ground required a bit more finesse and he was careful to avoid swooping for now, as his first attempt sent him tumbling over the ground in a most ungraceful manner. After that failed attempt, he focused instead on picking up as many as he could in one pass before trying again. His record was seven, but at that point the additional rungs became considerably harder to hold to and he was better with one foot than he was with the other.

As the day dragged on, he continued to wonder if there ever was a change in lighting. It wasn't that he didn't like the light he currently had, but he was used to a change. When he had been human, it was what he had lived by. To his surprise and gratification, 'night' fell rather quickly and Valefor was glad for the darkness. He left the items where they hung or lay and hobbled to the nest under the shelter. Contentedly, he curled up in the nest and promptly fell asleep, wondering what the next day would bring…


	3. Ifrit Arrives

Ifrit Arrives!

Day came as swiftly as night had fallen in this strange new world, and with it, Valefor arose, rested and ready. The sun was bright, just as it had been the other day and the land had been repaired from where he had scuffed it up in his training. Holes had been filled in neatly and the broad swathe of earth he had upturned in his first attempt at swooping was repaired and perfectly manicured again. Curiously, he hobbled around the interior of the picket fence and noted how pristine everything was again. Perhaps that was the way of it then. Whatever might happen here, it could be that it would simply repair itself over night.

The simple thought brought a thrill of delight to the lord of the skies. It meant he would not have to hold back or take care of any damage he might do to the landscape. He could use the full extent of his powers! With an exultant crow of delight, he launched himself into the air, flapping hard and spiraling up and up into the sky. When he deigned he had reached a high enough height, his wings cracked open with a sound like thunder and he flapped in place, hovering gently as he took a deep breath and focused on the land just outside the fence. In one smooth motion, his head reared back and his wings opened wide before his beak darted forward, open and menacing, while a beam of pure white light erupted from his open mouth. The energy ray cut a deep gash in the earth, searing the green grass an ugly brown and revealing the dark earth beneath in a jagged crevasse.

Neatly, he surveyed his work and swooped down for a closer look, satisfied with his power so far. Using that never got old. Carefully, he settled himself down on the top of the fence and looked around, flicking his wings and tail for balance when he needed. It felt as if something was missing from this place, but he couldn't tell what it was. Valefor searched his memory again for any fragment of the times before this. Nothing came at first but he eventually did recall that he had not always been alone. Granted, he had his summoner and he had answered her call, but he vaguely remembered there being others he had spent time with that were like him. Where were they?

Distracted, he back-flipped off the fence, his weight pressing the wooden planks further into the ground and causing a gentle dip in the symmetry of the outline. He dismissed it immediately and went to the box under the shelter. Valefor sighed as he swung his head between the nest and the box. It wasn't exactly that he had expected to be fighting immediately, but he wanted something else to do other than sleeping and training…

He looked between the two items for a bit longer and finally resigned himself to training. It would do him more good in the long run than any amount of sleep would, especially as he was not injured. The pennants had been hung from the tree and the rings were staked in the ground by the time he felt restlessness descend upon him again. An eager trill escaped him as he looked up, assured of the summons now. His summoner had need of him and he doubted very much that it was simple because she wanted to show the villagers again.

In a powerful downward stroke, Valefor lifted himself into the air, beating hard against the resistance of the wind to gain altitude. Up he flew until the clouds danced around him and he was engulfed in a brilliant white light that soon faded to reveal another blue sky in a different world. An immediate glance around showed it to be a small island surrounded by water and from the looks of it, the nearby village had already been somewhat demolished. His sharp eyes focused on his summoner instead and he saw the sinspawn they were fighting. Urgently, he threw himself down to her side, relishing the feel of her caress as she greeted him happily and then stepped back to give him room so that he would not harm her.

The villain he faced off against now was some sort of pod creature with tentacled hands and a nasty disposition. It looked angry and Valefor grinned to himself, rearing back and throwing a sonic blast at him immediately. The sinspawn roared in pain and reeled back, dazed by the attack. Valefor took the opening to swoop in to attack him with his claws, pounding on his head with the full force of his body. As he returned to his position in front of his summoner, he flapped up to avoid the retaliatory attack he had been waiting for. For two more rounds, they went back and forth, Valefor hitting the sinspawn with his sonic wings and then attacking, readying himself for the final blow he was eager to release. A stray attack caught him unawares and he fell back, surprised and stunned.

Anger suffused him as the creature actually seemed confident now that he had been marked. Valefor shrieked in defiance and soared up, hovering out of reach of the fel creature that had dared to hit him. His head reared back and the wings opened as he had practiced before he pierced the enemy below him with the full strength of the energy ray, tearing the platform under it to pieces as the beam cut through flesh and stone. In denial and despair, the sinspawn gave one final cry, reaching up vainly with one good arm to try and attack the flying creature, but the attempt faltered as he died and the limb fell limp to the ground. Valefor swooped down, flipping once and then preening as he landed next to his summoner. Together, they watched the massive creature dissipate into pyreflies, floating off into the air and winking out of sight as they returned to the farplane.

"Well done, Yuna," Auron congratulated softly, congratulating the young summoner on her first victory with her summon.

Yuna smiled brilliantly, looking around the group and then up at Valefor. "We all did it together." Fondly, she reached up and caressed Valefor one final time before she waved him off, her expression full of pride and the thrill of victory.

Valefor shared it, happily making his way back into the sky, exhilarated by his success as well. The one attack to get through had stung, but he had not suffered overly much from the hit. Rest would do much to repair it and that is exactly what he intended to do once he made his way back to the nest. White light engulfed him suddenly and before he could flap, the static sky of his world opened up before him, the white picket fence signaling his haven. Everything was still in place where he had left it but the items did not concern him now. Easily, he glided down to the shelter and threw himself down into the nest, curling up comfortably to sleep off his bruises.

Time had very little meaning in the world that he resided in now, so Valefor had no idea of knowing just how much time had passed before something else woke him from his doze. He was not being called, but something was definitely different. Cautiously, he hobbled out from under the shelter and peered around carefully, taking note of anything that might have changed. The scenery was exactly like he had left it when he went to sleep, but there was a sense of power in the air. His feathery fur felt alive with it and he trembled in nervous anticipation.

Abruptly, a circle of fire formed in the ground just beyond the fence and Valefor hurried over to see what was happening. Flames roared up as the earth heaved and a large chunk separated from the ground. From under the massive rock, a beastlike creature hunched over, his expression wary, before he rose up and tossed off the covering like so many pebbles. Flames erupted around him, breaking the earth further and flinging the debris out, at which point Valefor had to use a wing to shield himself from being pelted. In the next second, the creature hurtled into the enclosure and landed heavily, his massive claws tearing deep rents in the green grass before he roared, long and loud, and then stared at the creature across from him.

Valefor returned the inspection, taking note of the hunched over form so that he seemed to travel on all fours easier, especially with the massive pronged horns that hooked back from his head and followed the rounded curvature of his back. Dark brown skin was contrasted by fiery orange hair that topped his head and appeared on his cheeks. Like Valefor, he was only marginally decorated with additional accessories, such as the broad designed gold wrist cuffs and the beaded necklace with two tassels that hung simply from his neck. Fur gave the impression of lower body clothes and while there was nothing present to indicate as such, the newcomer was unmistakably masculine.

A deep voice rumbled from the behemoth-like maw, the words sounding forced and difficult to pronounce. "Who are you?" The heavy horned head swung around slowly, observant and wary, waiting for an answer.

Lacking the ability of speech, Valefor rustled his wings and turned his head sideways before he chirped and hopped a bit closer, curious. He knew what the newcomer was but his memory of this one in particular was vague…as most of his memories were of past lives. He was taller than the other summon, though he would probably be of even height if he stood up.

"What?" the newcomer growled, the word clipped and annoyed. A chirp answered him again as the winged creature just looked at him, intent and curious. "I asked you first," he muttered, turning away from the flying creature and padding around the interior of the fence on all fours. His claws dug small rents in the soil and marked his passing easily. He stood up and placed his hands on the top of the picket fence, staring into the distance. "So it is time again…"

Valefor flapped over and landed next to him on the fence, peering out to see what he was looking at. In confusion, he glanced down and then back out again.

"Ifrit," the newcomer stated bluntly without looking at the winged creature. When it leaned closer to look at him, he finally turned and quirked a bushy brow. "It's my name," he explained slowly, wondering if the creature understood him at all. It chirped at him again, the sound fairly sensible. "Valefor?" he asked in confusion. When the creature chirped again and bobbed his head once, Ifrit laughed. "What kind of a name is that?"

Valefor looked affronted for a second before he just shook his wings out and launched himself into the air. From above, Ifrit looked rather small and hardly intimidating. The beastman watched him circle in the sky, admiring and seemingly at ease. Well, he wasn't going to let the newcomer sour his mood. He had won that last fight! Well, he and his summoner had at any rate. Quickly, he swooped down, aiming for the rings he had set up earlier that were still in place. Effortlessly, he snagged four in one foot and flipped back around to shoot for the rest before he paused, seeing Ifrit go after them as well.

Ifrit snagged the remained of them from the ground and grinned, a mouthful of fangs prevalent in the elongated mouth. "Catch!" he dared, tossing seven of them up into the air as high as he could.

Intrigued, Valefor dropped the four he was holding and flung himself after the others, twirling and floating for that breathless moment in time before they plummeted back to the ground. Impressively, he managed to catch three on the way up, two in a dive down and a final one in his beak before he pulled up hard, skimming the ground in his final attempt. Abruptly, he settled himself and glared at the one he had missed. With purpose, he looked at Ifrit again and glanced upward.

Ifrit's grin widened and he padded around the enclosure, picking up the rest of the rings. "Ready?" he asked, four in one hand and the rest ready at his feet.

Valefor nodded as he prepared himself. As soon as Ifrit tossed up the first set of rings, he spiraled after them, catching three of the four. He was about to go after the last one when four more floated into view and he was wholly distracted by the new game that Ifrit had ensnared him in. For his part, Ifrit enjoyed tossing them up as much as Valefor did in catching them. It was equally entertaining catching the ones that fell back down and tossing them up again. In such a way, they were able to work on their own reflexes and timing up until the point where night suddenly and inexplicably descended upon them.

Puzzled, Ifrit glanced around, wincing when a final ring pinged off his head. A low growl escaped him when Valefor flapped down and settled next to him, two rings in his beak and an amused expression on his face. Unperturbed, he set the rings down and hobbled over to the shelter, ignoring the chest and the remaining items still left out in favor of the nest. He settled himself easily and without any further fuss, tucked his head under his wing and, for all intents and purposes, fell asleep.

Ifrit glared at him, annoyed. The rest of the rings he had been holding he set down on the ground and glanced around, seeing that everything was still as it had been during the day but the light was much reduced. There was no moon exactly, but it wasn't pitch dark either. Energetically, he clawed his way up the tree, savage claws clinging successfully to the rough bark. The boughs of the tree provided a nice resting place for him and after a couple unsuccessful positions, he found one that worked just right. His first day of renewed existence had been interesting. As he drifted to sleep, he wondered what the next days would bring and when he would fight Sin.


End file.
